Greetings After a Long Absence!

Greetings after a long absence! I’m not sure if you have missed me, but I have definitely missed communicating with you. But we are now home and struggling to get back to the normal routine…if such a thing exists! You know what I mean. What is normal, anyway? The best definition I can come up with is living life out of familiar surroundings; e.g., our own bed, our own “stuff”, our usual tasks and events.

That being said, it seems to me that there is a mountain facing me, trying to reach that sense of “Aah, I’m really home.” There was such a rush getting ready to go on our trip that I came back to a lot of things that I had left undone. For instance, cleaning house! The morning we left I just kept singing to myself, “Let it go! Let it go!” The excitement of a new book and the details surrounding it distracted me, it seemed, from doing the things I normally do…at least the vacuuming! So coming home after a month, with a 12-inch stack of mail, laundry, the ubiquitous housework, etc., waiting, I have felt very overwhelmed. I know you all know that feeling! Don’t you?

But I want to tell you that God understands overwhelming! One of my favorite passages in Scripture is from Psalm 143:4-6, “Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah. The word “Selah” means to pause and reflect at this point. How many times have I turned to these verses and realized that a lot of my frustration and overwhelmed-ness comes from the fact that my soul is simply longing for more of God; that to look back and see how He has been there for me over and over in the past, strengthening me, is the panacea for the staggering sense of duty and responsibilities calling me.

So I did pause and spend some time with Him the other day and He gave me such a feeling of His presence, and a word from His Word! My overwhelmed heart was overwhelmed in a different direction—that of joy and praise. I want to share that word with you. It is direct instruction for all of us who get caught up in the struggle of too much to do; who are exhausted and worn out. Hebrews 12:12-13 , (NLT): “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.” Today I marked out a straight path! Try it. Do what you can do, and let yourself relax and rest. Good advice! Of course, it is Scripture, after all!

Well, I guess I’m back in the saddle, so to speak! Asking for prayer, if you think of us, for Fred’s eye surgery on Tuesday, August 14th. And for God’s continuing to bless our book “Signposts” as He has been doing in great measure. I thank you for your support, and pray you find joyfully His direction for your journey as you go step by step, following Him.